Knitting machine



Nov. 27, 1928. 1,692,945

J. M NAMEE KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 29, 1927 '7 Sheets-Sheet 1 gwvawioz Nov. 27, 1928. 1,692,945

J. M NAMEE KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 29, 1927 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. M NAMEE KNITTING MACHINE Nov. 27, 1928.

Filed Aug. 29, 1927 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jamsmwnee Nov. 27, 1 928. v 1,692,945

J. M NAMEE KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 29, 1927 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 I lgLfiJl.

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James Mid/b011 6 Nov. 27, 1928. 1,692,945

'J. MCNAMEE KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 29, 1927 7 Shee sh et 5 27 i 45. 0.144 I/Ejfg I g o Z9 Z ad a 4 v Z7 i/ l E' JZ:

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' Nov. 27, 1928. 1,692,945

J. M NAMEE KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 29, 1927 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 @7 52. Y 3 I Z w b C d (L b 5 j a a c d a b I x yf j g' ,Z w 5 C Fatented Nov. 27, 1928.

JAMES MCNAMEE, 0F BALLSTON SPA, NEW YORK.

KNITTING MACHINE.

Application filed August 29, 1927. Serial No. 216,175.

This invention relates to knitting machines of the spring-needle cylinder type for producing circular knit fabrics and it relates more particularly to machines for knitting porous fabrics or fabrics having relatively large openings at predetermined points. The

invention is primarily an improvement upon the structures disclosed in my Patents Nos.

810,794 of January 23, 1906, and 1,050,970 of January 21, 1913, and a patent issued to Bernard M. Shea on January 18,1916,No.1,168,- 684land assigned to me.

One o'f the objects of the invention is to provide a circular knit or cylinder machine having a novel arrangement of feeds and transfers whereby a relatively large hexagonal this character utilizing a transfer of novel construction the working parts of which are all located inside of the cylinder, said transfer being made up of separate parts whereby a singleielongated loop can be placed successively in engagement with needles at opposite'sides of the loop engaging needle and there heldduring the carrying forward of the knitting operation. v

A further object is to providea transfer mechanism which will operate at high speed with maximum efliciency. I

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, theinvention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings,

Figure ,1 is a plan view of a portion of a circular knit machine having the present improvements combined therewith.

Figure 2 is an enlarged section on line 22, Figure 1. a

a Figure 3 is a transverse section through a portion of the second feed of the apparatus, said section. being taken on the line 3-3, Figure 1; l i

- Figure 4: is a plan view of the plugged stitch wheel forming a part of the second feed;

Figure 5 is an elevation of the plugged stitch wheel. a

Figure 6 is a view in section showing a portion of the plugged stitch wheel in cooperation with the adjacent needle of the cylinder.

Figure 7 is an elevation of the special form of cast-oil wheel employed, needles being shown adjacent thereto.

Figure 8 is a face View of the cast-off wheel,

Figure 9 is a plan View of the cut presser, the adjacent needles of the cylinder being shown in connection therewith.

Figure 10 is an enlarged plan view of the transfer mechanism.

Figure 11 is an elevation of the first section of the transfer mechanism, said elevation being substantiallyindicated by the line 11- 11, Figure 10.

Figure 12 is an elevation of the second secti on or group of the transfer, mechanism, this elevation being substantially indicated by the line l212. Figure 10.

Figure 13 is a plan view of the stop finger forming a part of the second group of the transfer mechanism.

Figure 14 is a view in diagram showing a plan view of a portion of the first alining wheel of the transfer mechanism and the relative positions of a group of needles comduring the first portion of the transfer of the long loop. V

Figure 17 is a View similar to Figure 16 showing the relative positions of the needles during the completion of the transfer in one direction of the long loop.

Figure 18 is a view similar to Figure showing the position of the long loop when the needles are located. as in Figure 17.

Figure 19 is a View similar to Figure 18 showing the position of the long loop and needles after the needles have been released from the transfer or alining wheel and the loop has been spread in one direction.

Figure 20 is a plan view of a portion of the aligning or transfer wheel of thesecond' group of the transfer mechanism showing the group of needles approaching the same.

Figure 21 is a similar view showing the relative positions of the needles during the first portion of the second transfer of the long loop.

Figure 22 is a View similar to Figure 21 showing the relative positions of the needles upon the completion of the transfer of the long loop.

Figure 23 is a view of the needles positioned as in Figure 22 showing the long loop in engagement therewith.

Figure 24: is a view similar to Figure 23 showing the relative positions of the needles and the. long loop after the transfer has been completed and the needles have been released.

Figure 25 is a view of a portion of the fabric having a course of slightly elongated loops approaching the second feed;

Figure 26 is a view showing the action of the plugged stitch wheel.

Figure 27 is a similar view showing the action of the cut presser wheel.

Figure 28 is a similar view showing the result produced by the action of the castotf wheel at the end of the second feed.

Figure 29 is' a similar view showing more or less in diagram the position of the elongated loop of the first course following the first transfer after leaving the second feed.

Figure 30 is a view similar to Figure 9 showing the position of the elongated loop of the first course following the second transfer.

Figure 31 shows the relative positions of the parts following the action of the stitch wheel of the third feed in the formation 0 the third course.

Figure 32 shows the relative positions of the parts following the action of the cut presser wheel of the third feed.

Figure 33 is a view showing the relative positions ofthe parts following the action of the landing wheel of the third feed.

"Figure 34 1s a view showing the relative positions of the parts at the end of the fourth feed and following the formation of the fourth course and the completion of the hexagonal opening in the fabric.

As hereinbefore stated this invention is of the cylinder or circular. spring-needle type of machine utilizing spring needles, the cylinder rotating from the left to the right. Each course in the knitting operation is produced by a group of cooperating-parts commonly known as a feed: Each feed includes a push-down, a stitch wheel, a presser, a landing wheel, and a cast-off wheel. The functions of these parts are well known to those skilled in the art. In the manufacture of plain'cloth on a standard circular spring needle machine one or more of these feeds are used. Ordinarily three, four or five are employed, each forming a separate course of new stitches or loops. However the number of feeds employed is determined usually by the diameter of the knitting cylinder. In carrying out the present invention four feeds are necessary and, for the purpose of varying the pattern, one or more additional plain feeds can be used, this number determining the amount of plain cloth between the horizontal rows of openings formed by the mechanism constituting the present invention. I

For the purpose of properly illustrating the present invention-five feeds have been disclosed, three of these feeds being of the plain or standard construction. In the drawings these feeds have been deslgnated at A, B, C, D and E respectively. The-cylinder of the machinehas been indicated at 1 and is provided with a. circular series of sprmg needles indicated at 2 which, as customary,

are provided with depending beards 8; Ordinarily these needles are all of the same length but in the present construction the alternate needles are slightly longer than the remaining needles. In other words the second and fourth, etc., needles are sli htly longer than the first and third. etc., nee les. For the purposes of the present invention the needles are divided into groups of four, each group including a long needle indicated at b, a. short needle indicated at a, a long needle indicated at d, and a short needle indicated atc. A oup of these needles has been indicated specifically in each of Figures 14 to 24 inclusive.

Arranged within the cylinder 1 is a supporting ring 4: to which many of the parts of the mechanism are connected.

, First feedl The first feed of the machine indicated at A includes the usual push-down wheel 5, lo cated inside the circular series of needles, the stitch wheel 6', the presser wheel 7 the landing wheel 8, and the cast-ofif wheel 9. These parts are all operated in the usual or any preferred way and produce operations well known to those skilled in the art. This feed LSO ' at this point.

differs from that of the ordinary feed inthat the stitch wheel 6 is set deeper into the series of needles than ordinarily for the purpose of supplying more than the usual quantity of yarn to the course of loops pro-' duced by the first feed. Consequently these loops will be somewhat longer than the other loops produced by the plain feeds. In this connection attention is called to Figure 25 which shows the loops X produced by this feed.

Second feed.

sive the stitch wheel 12 is plugged in every fourth space as at 13 so that the heard of.

every fourth needle will be closed by the plugs and the yarn will not be carried under these closed beards. Gonse uently the'yarn delivered to the second feed is left outside of the beard of every fourth needle and no stitch will be formed on these fourth needles However the stitch of the course X formed on this needle by the feed A will be retained thereon. The fourth needle herein referred to is the needle d illustrated in Figures I4 to 24 inclusive. operating with the needles at the second feed,

. B, is a cut presser wheel 14 illustrated in stitch wheel.

Figure 9 having peripheral notches for receiving the needles a, b, andc of the groups while slots 15 are provided in the periphery of this, wheel for receiving the needles (Z. Thus. during the operation of the machine, and following the action of the stitch wheel,

this presser wheel will close the beards of all of the needles except the needle d which is the needle previously closed by the plugged Thus the stitch of the course X formed on each needle (1 at feed A will pass feed'B without being pressed off. In

- other words it will be retalned on the needle w1th the needles 2. This wheel has per1phd. The action of the plugged stitch wheel in .feed B has been illustrated in Figure 26 where the heard of the needle (Z is shown closed and the other beards are shown open.

The action of the cut presser wheel has been indicated in Figure 27 where the heard of needle 0! is shown open and the other boards by the presser wheel. will be raised inside of the beards. while the stitches on the needles having closed beards will be raised outside the beards ready to be cast off by the castofi' wheel 16.

Following the action of the cut presser the fabric.

wheel 14 andthe landing wheel 11 which leaves the yarn of the second course Y in engagement with all of the beards except the beards of the needles d the cast-off wheel 16 acts on This cast-off wheel has only a suflicient number of blades 17 to operate on the stitches carried by the needles These blades. which are arranged in pairs, will straddle the needles d, and the stitches carried thereby, thereby producing unusually long stitches at the needles (1. In otherparticulars the feed B operates in the same manner as an ordinary or plain feed but it will be noted, by referring particularly to Figure 28, that when the course Y is completed a stitch or loop will be missing from said course at each needle d and instead thereof there will be a long loop or stitch a: belonging to the course X. It might be added that when these loops at are elongated during the formation of course Y the remaining loops or stitches of the course X will be taken up so as to be brought to the same length as the stitches of the other courses. Leaving the feed B the fabric now passes to the transfer mechanism which is interposed between the feed B and the third feed Cl Transfer mechanism. I

to hold those portions of the transfer mechanism located outside of the circular series of needles while brackets 20 and 21 mounted on the ring 4, constitute supports for those portions of the transfer mechanism located inside of the cylinder.

Supported by the bracket 20 which, as shown, straddles ring 4 and is held adjustably thereto by a set screw 22, is a vertically a'djustable hanger 23 having an arm 24 adjustably mounted thereon carrying a spindle 25. On this spindle is mounted a rotatable alining wheel 26 mounted for rotation by engagement eral teeth arranged in pairs, the teeth of each pair being'indicated at 27 and 28 respectively.

Each tooth 27 has one side radially disposed while its other side is obliquely disposed, the two sides cooperating to produce a point. The othertooth 28 of each pair has that side nearest the, tooth 27 of said pair beveled as dles a and b of the groups will lie between the teeth of adjoining pairs. The long loop as is carried by the needle (13 and by providing'asmall push-down wheel above and in close proximity to the alining wheel 26 the fabrlc will be forced downwardly inside of the cylinder with the result that the long loop at will be brought down over the needle 0 as shown in Figure 18. This loop willbe carried down wardly below the beards on the two needles 0 and d by a push-down shoe 44. Consequently as the'needles are subsequently released by the further rotation of the alining wheel 26, they will spring back to normal positions, spreading the loop m so that it will be brought to one-half its maximum width.

Thereafter an ordinary cast-off wheel 31 functions to elevate all of the loops so as to bring them to the tops of the needles under the beards before reaching the second transfer G. See Fig. 29.

The second transfer includes an alining wheel 32 mounted in the same way as the wheel 26 and provided with peripheral teetli arranged in pairs, one tooth of each pair being blunt as shown at 33 while the other tooth of each pair is pointed as shown at 34. the

teeth of each pair being spaced from the teeth of the adjacent pair by recesses shown at 35. As the needles advance towards the second transfer the advancing needle a carrying the partly spread loop :0 will enter one of the recesses 35 while the nextfollowing needle d carrying the loop 00 will rest upon the blunt tooth 33. The next following needles a and I) will assume positions at, opposite sides of the tooth 34 These positions of the needles have been illustrated in Figure 21. There after the long needle d engaging the loop w will come against a stop finger 36 and be pushed off of the blunt tooth 33 so that it will snap into'th'e recess occupied by the short needle a. Thus the parts will assume the position shown in Figure 22. Thereafter the fabric will be engaged by the small push down wheel 37 which will act to turn the loop 00 down over the needle a as shown in Figure 23. Subsequently whenthe needles are released from the alining wheel '32, these needles will spring back to their normal positions but at this time the loop w will be in engagement not only with the needles d and 0 but also with the needle a: This will be apparent by referring to Figure 24. The loop as is of course pressed down below the boards of these three needles by a small push-down shoe 4!") and then the fabric travels to the third feed C. It is to be understood of course that as the loops or stitches pass through the transfer only those loops or stitches m engaging the long needles d are acted on bythe transfer mechanism. The other loops or stitches remain in engagement with their needles. In

j Third feed. I The third feed C isthe same as a plain feed with the .exceptionthat, instead of using a plain presser wheel a cut presser wheel 38 similar to the wheel 14 is utilized. In other words this cut presser wheel has slots 39 for receiving the beards of the needles d so that these beards are left open while the beards of the remaining needles of each loop are closed.

Consequently when the yarn'of' the third course C is fed to the third feed C the stitch wheel 40 will feed it tot-he beards of all of the needles After leaving the stitch wheel and the push-down wheel 41 the landing wheel 42 ofth'e feed C will lift the loops over the points of all of the closed beards-so that the yarn of the third course C, following the. action of the stitch wheel as shown in Figure 31 and the action of the presser wheel as shown in Figure 32, will be castofi' by the wheel 43 with the loop as and one of the loops of the course C remaining in engagement with the needles d as shown in Figure 33.

Final ppem tz'on.

After leaving feed C the fabric is brought to the fourth feed I) where a plain knitting operation takes place, the loops of this plain course P being locked through the loops of the course C and the elongated loop :12. Any desired number of these plain c'ourses P can be employed. In the present case two such courses are provided, they being produced by the feeds D and E respectively. It will be noted that the 'pull exerted by the loop of course-P in engagement with needle at will be such as to spread outthe lower end of the loop :22 and this lower portion with the adjacent partsof the course Y and Z will produce a hexagonal opening'extending through three courses and of a width substantially equal to the distance between three needles.

Referring to the transfer mechanism it might be stated that stationary shoes 44 and 45 Kttention. is directed to the fact that the shoes 44 and 45 and the push-down wheels 30 and 37 as well as the stop finger- 36 are all carried by the rod 18 located outside of the cylinder The alining wheels 26 and 32, however. as wellas the lifting wheel 31 are all carried by thering 4'. This is likewise true of the various landing wheels and cast-off wheels. As shown for example in Figure 2 the cloth can be changed by changing the ratio between the number of needles in the cylinder and the number of plugs in the stitch wheel, the number of cuts in the cut presser and the number of blades in the cast-off wheel, it being obvious of course that the peri hery of the alining wheelswill be correspondingly changed. -Furthermore any desired number of courses of plain stitches can be employed to vary the pattern.

Importance is attached to the factthat in the operation of the presentmachine at the transfer the elongated loop or stitch is first carried forwardlto an adjacent needle and then carried backward to anadjacent needle, thereby causing the stitch to encircle three adjacent needles. The opening thus formed is further enlarged and given symmetrical shape by holding this, stitch down with the .stitch formed in .the next course, and then casting it off with the second following 7 course.

Whatiis claimed is 1. A knitting machine having a circular series of spring needles, alternate needles being longer than the remaining needles, means for shifting one of the needles laterally to position the long, needle 'in lapped relation with an adjacent short needle, and means for looping over the short needle the stltch carriedby the long 'needle, said needles being adapted,-when released, to spring apart to spread the engaged stitch.

2. A knitting machine having a circular seriesof spring needles mounted for rotation in one direction, alternate needles being longer. than the remaining needles means for shifting one of the long needles aterallyin the direction of rotation toposition it in lapped relation with the next short needle in advance thereof, and means for looping over said short needle a-stitch carried by the long needle, said needles being adapted, when released, to spring apart to spreadthe'engaged stitch.

3. A knitting machine having a circular series Sf-spring needles mounted for rotation in one directlon, alternate needles being longer than the remaining-needles, means for. shifting one of the long needles in the direction of rotation into lapped relation with the next adjoining short needle in advance thereof, means for looping over the short needle a stitch carried by the long needle, said needles being adapted, when released, to spring apart'to properly spread the engaged stitch,

' means for subsequently shifting the long needle laterally oppositely to the direction of rotation into position in lapped relation with the next adjoining short needle in rear thereof, nieans'for looping over said short needle the stitch carried by said long needle and'the first named short needle, all of said needles being adapted, when finally released to spring apart and completely spread the engaged wheel of the remaining feeds, thereby to' produce longer loops than the other feed, the

stitch wheel of the second feed being plugged to close the beards of selected lon needles, the presser wheel of the second feed eing cut ,to release the, beards of-said selected needles and the cast-off wheelof the second feed being adapted to straddle said selected needles only and the stitches carried thereby, and

means interposedbetween the second and third feeds for looping the stitches of the sele'ct'ed needles "forwardly in the direction of rotation and backwardlyin the opposite direction into engagement with the next gadjoining needles. v

5. A knitting machine havin a circular series ofspring needles mounted or rotation, first, second and third feeds cooperating with the series of needles, all of said feeds having push-down wheels, stitchwheels, pressers,

landing wheels and cast-01f wheels, the res'ser wheels of the second and third feeds eing cut to hold uncompressed the beards of selected needles, the stitch wheel of the second feed being plugged to compress the beards of said selectedv needles and the cast-off wheelof the second feed constituting means for.

straddling the selected needles only and the stitches thereon, the stitch wheel of the first wheel being extended farther into the spacesbetween the needles than the stitch wheels of the other series, thereby to produce a course of longer loops than those of the other feed and to elongate selected loops by drawing yarn from the remaining long loops, and means interposed between the second and third feeds forltransferring the stitches on the selected needles forwardly in the direction of rotation into engagement with the next adjoining needles in advance thereof and thence in the opposite direction into engagement with the next adjoining needles in the rear thereof.

6. A knitting machine having a circular series of spring needles mounted for rotation, first, second, third and fourth feeds cooperating therewith, each of said feeds including a pushdownwhe'el, a stitch wheel, a presser wheel, a landing wheel, and a cast-off wheel,

' needles successively forwardl the stitch wheel of the first feed being extended farther between the needles than the remaining stitch wheels, thereby to produce longer loops in the fabric than the remaining feeds, the stitch wheel of 'the second feed being plug ed to depress the beards of selected needis, the presser wheels of the second and third feeds being cut to skip the beards of the selected needles and the castoff wheel of the second feed constituting means for straddling the selected needles only and the loops engaged thereby, and means interposed between the second andthird feeds for looping the stitches on the selected in the direction of rotation to the next ad oining needles in advance thereof and thence rearwardly in the opposite direction to the next adjoining needles in rear thereof, thereby to spread the stitches of the selected needles.

7. A knitting machine including a circular series of spring needles, said series being rotatable in one direction, alternate needles being longer than the remaining needles, and means for looping a stitch from a selected long needle onto an adjoining short needle,

said means including an aligning wheel inside of the cylinder provided with peripheral teeth arranged in pairs, the adjoining sides of the teeth of each pair converging toward the wheel to receive first a short needle and then the next following selected long needle and apush-down element for looping the stitch on the long needle downwardly onto the short needle lapped thereby, and means for depressing said stitch past the beards of the needles prior to the release of the needles by the aligning wheel.

8. A knitting machine having a circular series of spring needles mounted "for rotation in one direction, alternate needles being longer than the remaining needles, separate feeds cooperating with the needles, and trans fer mechanism interposed between said feeds, said mechanism including an aligningwheel"; having marginal teeth engaging the needlesg for actuation thereby, said teeth being arranged in pairs, the advancing tooth of each pair having a blunt outer end and the other tooth of each pair being pointed, each of said blunt teeth constituting means for engaging a selected long needle while the space between the needles of the pair is adapted to receive the next following short needle, means for stripping the selected needle from. the blunt tooth to position it in the recess between the teeth of each pair and in lapped relation with the next following short needle,

and means for looping the'stitch of the selected long needle over the lapped short needle. l

9. A knitting machine including a circular series of spring needles mounted for rotation in one direction, a feed cooperating therewith for producing extra long stitches, a second feed for retaining stitches on selected needles when the other stitches are cast oiftat the second feed, said feed including a landing Wheel for straddling selected needles and stitches, thereby to elongate the stitches of the selected needles and shorten the remain ing stitches from the first feed, the yarn of the course produced at the second feed being left out of the selected needles, means for looping the stitches of the selected needles successively in the direction of rotation and oppositely to the direction of rotation to engage the next adjoining advancin and following needles, thereby to spread the stitches of the selected needles, anda third feed having means for retaining the stitches on the selected needles.

In testimony thatI claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature.

JAMES MoNAMEE. 

